Sofia

We wished for more time in Veliko Tarnovo, especially since it was raining too hard this morning for us to explore the fort. We did get some drive-by pictures before we left town, but we would have loved to walk around and really take it in. But, aside from that, we just really loved the city and would have enjoyed being there longer. If we are ever back this way, we will make it a priority to visit again.

After a nice drive, with a pretty interesting lunch stop, in which our order was conveyed entirely by pointing and nodding, we arrived in Sofia, which is a large capital city, but nice. Our penthouse apartment is overwhelmingly purple and teal and a little on the gaudy side for me (with its various mirrored and brass surfaces), but it's certainly not lacking in character, and it does have a lovely view of the city and Vitosha Mountain. We walked down to a nice shopping area for dinner, and, though the sidewalk cafe where we ate wasn't fancy, our entire dinner for the six of us was less than US$20.

Tsarevets--The Place of Tsars

The wall of the fort, even in its ruinous state, is truly impressive

The patio reading nook, which the little boys absolutely loved.
They picked up every Bulgarian book from the outdoor bookshelf and "read" them all.

The master bedroom in our purple palace

bedroom patio doors

This is the view from the patio.
I love how the mountain is ringed in clouds,
as the rain moved out and the sun started to shine.

A public service announcement at a nearby hotel

Sidewalk cafes are so cool!

Nothing makes this guy happier than statues!

Taking a break from our walk to play